Room Service
by Hanabina
Summary: Eiri has committed an unspeakable crime against his brother: he's forced Tatsuha to get a JOB! Now Tatsuha is working at a hotel and is anything but happy about it. Until he hears that Ryuichi is staying in one of the rooms. Then, all hell breaks loose
1. It's Hardly The End Of The World

**. Summary .  
**Eiri has committed an unspeakable crime against his brother: he's forced Tatsuha to get a JOB! Now Tatsuha is working at a hotel and is anything but happy about it. Until he hears that Ryuichi is staying in one of the rooms. Then, all hell breaks loose.

**. Author's Note .  
**My first Tatsuha and Ryuichi fanfiction! I'm so excited. Ever since I saw Gravitation (DVDs 1-3), I've been obsessing over this couple. And they don't even get together in the anime, I've heard. What a shame. They're both so molestable and hot. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! It's going to be a hilarious ride! **- Hanabina**

**. Disclaimer .  
**I don't own Gravitation, anime or manga. I don't even own the DVDs I watched. They're my friends. And, although it kills me, I don't own Eiri Yuki, Tatsuha Uesugi, Shuichi Shindou, Ryuichi Sakuma, or anybody else from the show. I just borrow them and use them as puppets to do my bidding. What? Like you don't do it too.

* * *

**. One .**

It's Hardly The End Of The World

* * *

Eighty-seven times.

Tatsuha had watched the Nittle Grasper's 12th Concert: Special Edition video exactly eighty-seven times. He had a feeling his brain had turned to mush because he found it hard to think of anything but Nittle Grasper's awesome beats - or to think at all.

He couldn't sleep. Whenever he closed his eyes, all he saw was Ryuichi Sakuma, singing into the microphone with that serious look on his face. That passion, that heart, that life. His god.

Eighty-seven times. He pressed the rewind button. Time to make it eighty-eight.

The light switch flipped on. Tatsuha covered his head with the blanket, hissing. After sitting in the dark for the last nine hours, light was the last thing his eyes could take. "The light burns!"

"Bastard, turn that TV off." Eiri said, a cigarette between his lips. "I'm trying to sleep and, thanks to you, Shuichi keeps muttering lyrics in his sleep. It's annoying the hell out of me."

Tatsuha peered through a crack in the blanket. "Ryu... ichi..." He said in a monotone voice, drool sliding out of the corner of his mouth. Eiri twitched, disgusted. He walked over, grabbing the remote from Tatsuha's limp hand and shutting off the TV.

"Lazy bastard." Eiri muttered, heading back to his bedroom. Tatsuha was still staring mindlessly at the television. He turned off the light and shook his head. "At least he'll only be here for one day."

**_...Room Service?_**

"What you're doing is wrong!" Tatsuha screamed, resisting the urge to cling to his brother's leg. For one thing, Eiri would just kick him off painfully anyway. And, for another thing, Shuichi already had a tight hold on both legs. "It's morally, ethically, and humanly wrong! How can you be so cruel?"

"Yeah, Yuki!" Shuichi piped in, tightening his hold. "You can't do that to Tatsuha! You said he could stay here with us for a few days!"

Eiri glared at the two of them. "No, I said he could stay here with us for one day. _One _day. How did that turn into six?"

"But, come on!" Tatsuha continued. "Don't you have any shame? You can't do this! I'm only sixteen! It's illegal! Next you'll have me pushing drugs on little kids, right? You make me sick!"

"Funny. That's the same thing I always say about you." Eiri replied shortly. "Now both of you shut up. Tatsuha, I'm not going to let you freeload around my house. If you're going to stay here, you're going to get a job."

Tatsuha twitched at the very word.

Shuichi's eyes swelled up with tears. "Yukiiii! That's not fair! He's not a boarder; he's our guest!"

"For someone to be a guest, they'd have to be welcome. He's never been welcome here." Eiri said as he finally got his legs free of Shuichi's hold. "You can whine all you want, but Tatsuha's going to start working. Tomorrow. It's all set up."

Tatsuha screamed again. "What? You got me a job and you didn't even ask me? What if I don't like it?"

"Tough shit." Eiri lit himself a cigarette and inhaled. "It was actually Tohma's doing, not mine. NG also owns this hotel in town and they're in need of one more person for room service. That would be you."

"I have to clean up after whiny boarders at a hotel? What do I look like - a garbage man?" Tatsuha protested. "You can't make me go!"

Eiri inhaled the sweet smoke once more, not saying anything for a minute. Then he smirked. "I currently have your autograph book in my bedroom. If it were to _accidentally _fall on my lighter and all sixty pages with Ryuichi's signature on them were to _mysteriously _burst into flames—"

Twin gasps filled the room. Tatsuha dropped to his feet. "You're cruel."

"And you're easy to manipulate. Have fun tomorrow." Eiri said patronizingly, getting to his feet and walking to the bedroom. Shuichi stared after his lover for a moment, then looked at Tatsuha, who was currently curled into a ball on the floor, bawling his eyes out. Shuichi leaned down and patted his head.

"It's alright Tatsuha. I'm sure the job can't be... that bad. Cheer up." The pink-haired boy said with a bright smile. He sighed as Tatsuha's arms stretched out and pulled Shuichi down on top of him.

"Wanna make me feel better?" Tatsuha asked huskily, all traces of previous tears gone.

Shuichi sweat dropped. "Um... Yuuuukiiiii!"

**_...Room Service?_**

Tatsuha made a last ditch attempt. He really did. But still, at precisely 6:33am he found himself shoved – and then locked – out of his brother's apartment, despite the fact that he'd tied himself to his bed.

He sighed. He had to be at the hotel by 7 to get started and be briefed on what his job would entail of. He still had plenty of time to grab breakfast, or at least a muffin. Eiri hadn't been kind enough to give him that much.

Tatsuha turned and started walking down the street towards the subway. The hotel was downtown, so he had to transfer a few times to get to the area. All he could think the whole time was "Shoot me. Please shoot me now."

Much to his dismay, he was still alive after the train ride. He forced himself out of his seat and through the sliding doors with the rest of the crowd. As soon as he emerged from the subway, the sight of the hotel greeted him. It was kind of hard to miss. The place took up the entire block across from the train station.

"Leave it to Tohma to own a place like that," Tatsuha muttered. "Bet it's spotless, too."

"Are you going to stand out here and complain or can I interrupt?"

Tatsuha looked to see the blonde he'd just been muttering about standing in front of him. He blinked, wondering when Tohma had gotten there, then realized Tohma must have been waiting by the door and seen him.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm here for the job, unfortunately." Tatsuha said, trying not to sound too miserable. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well, first of all," Tohma replied. "Go to the kitchen and get something to eat. I can hear your stomach from here. After that, meet me on the 23rd floor, in my office. And don't worry. You'll have a good time here."

Tatsuha scowled. "Yeah. _Sure_ I will."

_Eiri__ must die._

**_…Room Service?_**

Tatsuha wiped off his cart and loaded a soufflé onto it, trying not to look as miserable as he felt.

This morning, he'd tried handcuffing himself to the bedpost as well as tying himself to it, but Eiri had managed to kick him out once again. The door had opened briefly, giving Tatsuha some small hope, but then a corn muffin had slammed into his head and Eiri's smug voice called "Shuichi wanted you to have that" before the door slammed shut again.

At least _Shuichi_ was nice to him, which made him wonder again how Eiri had managed to land such an adorable Ryuichi Sakuma look-a-like.

"Do you have ketchup, na no da?" Someone whispered, too close for comfort. Tatsuha jumped and flipped around to see a guy wearing a cap that covered his hair and large sunglasses. On his back was a bag with something pink sticking out of it.

The man's voice sounded strangely familiar, but Tatsuha was too creeped out to notice. "What?"

"Ketchup? Ku—someone in my room needs ketchup." The man stammered before beaming brightly. "Do you have any?"

"Uh… yeah, sure…" Tatsuha rummaged through the cart until he found some mini-packs of ketchup, then handed them to the stranger with a sigh.

The stranger tilted his head to the side. "Something wrong, na no da?"

"Nothing." Tatsuha wasn't about to talk out his problems with someone he barely knew. Word could get back to Tohma, who would probably give him something worse to do. "Just a little stressed out, is all."

"When I get stressed out, I like to sing!" The man said cheerily. "Do you sing?"

"No…"

"Who's your favorite singer? Maybe I could sing one of their songs to cheer you up, na no da!"

Tatsuha shrugged. "Ryuichi Sakuma of Nittle Grasper."

The man's entire face seemed to light up. "Oh, _really_! Well, then, I've got some good news for you!"

"What do you think you're doing?"

Both men turned to see Tohma standing there, glaring in the stranger's direction. "I told you to stay in your room."

"But Tohmaaa!" The man whined. "Kumagoro wanted—"

"I don't care. Go back to your room. Now." Tohma said flatly. He turned his gaze onto Tatsuha. "And you. Fraternizing with the guests is not part of your job here."

Tatsuha watched the man pout and storm away, leaving his ketchup behind. He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I was just loading the cart. Your _friend_ came and talked to _me_."

"Of course." Tohma replied, his voice as enigmatic as ever. "Do get back to work. I'm sure there are a lot of people waiting. I've got to go tend to my friend. If you'll excuse me."

Tatsuha watched Tohma walk away, then waited until he was a good distance away before sticking his tongue out at the blond man.

**_…Room Service?_**

Tatsuha's eye was twitching. He was officially on duty, catering to the whims of any person who checked into the hotel. The instant they pressed the button for room service, he had to go and serve their lazy ass.

Great.

"NG Hotel Room Service. Did you order this chocolate mousse?" He asked through the door of room 106, trying to keep his twitching to a minimum. He was going to kill Yuki, then rip off his arms and beat him with them, and then he was going to take one of Yuki's books and stick them up Tohma's bossy, cruel—

"Chocolate? Kumagoro didn't order any chocolate! He's not allowed to have any and neither am I, na no da!"

Tatsuha blinked, his heart starting to pound faster. Kumagoro? Either, there was an extremely obsessed freak (re: his long lost twin) in there, or… "Sir, please open the door."

"I _can't_." The voice whined. "Noriko said I shouldn't open the door until she gets back! Ryuichi wasn't allowed to order room service either, but Kumagoro _really _wanted some ketchup. He left his downstairs!"

Tatsuha had to fight to keep from fainting. Ryuichi Sakuma? In this hotel? Staying in _this _hotel? Where Tatsuha was _working_? _This _hotel?

He blinked as his mind caught up to what Ryuichi had just said. Left his ketchup downstairs? The man downstairs had been Ryuichi Sakuma? He'd been _talking_ to Ryuichi Sakuma? He'd given ketchup to _Ryuichi__ Sakuma_? Ryuichi Sakuma had been about to sing _just_ for him?

This was too good to be true.

"Sir, please!" He begged, trying to keep his voice professional. "I—I can't give you your ketchup if you don't open the door!"

"But—But!" Ryuichi whined again. "Fine, but don't tell Noriko, na no da! She might get angry at Kumagoro!"

Tatsuha took deep breaths, listening to the latch unlock and watching as the door swung open to reveal his god – Ryuichi Sakuma in the flesh. He'd discarded the hat, although the sunglasses were still in place and blocking his eyes.

"Hi!" Ryuichi greeted cheerfully. "Kumagoro would like his ketchup now, please."

Tatsuha stared.

Ryuichi blinked. "Are you alright? Helloooo? Did you die? Can you die standing up? HELLO?"

Tatsuha stared.

"…Are you playing a game? I'm good at games, na no da! I want to play, too!"

Tatsuha didn't reply. He just stared.

Ryuichi stared back.

Tatsuha kept staring.

Ryuichi kept staring back.

Tatsuha blinked.

"Ha, Ryuichi wins!" The famous singer screamed in delight. "Nobody can beat me at a staring contest! Nobody, but Kumagoro, that is, but that's only because he makes faces and makes me laugh, the cheater."

"U-uh, Mr. Sakuma, I—" Tatsuha stammered, finally finding his voice. "I—I mean, I—"

Ryuichi tilted his head to the side, then beamed. "_Ooooh_. You're the fan from the cart, na no da! Kumagoro and I love fans!"

"Ryuichi, I told you not to open the door!"

Tatsuha turned to see an attractive girl with lavender hair heading their way, looking none too pleased. It was none other than Noriko, from Nittle Grasper. He would have been mildly interested in her if his god hadn't been standing right in front of him and well within reach.

Too bad he'd lost the feeling in his arms.

"Waaah, but—but Kumagoro wanted ketchup! I told him not to, but he wouldn't listen!" Ryuichi protested, eyes welling up in tears. "Please forgive him!"

Noriko smiled. "Alright, alright. Next time, I'll just have to take him to the bathroom with me, won't I? So he'll be good?"

Ryuichi beamed and nodded. "Kumagoro says he'd like to go with Noriko! He likes you."

Just when Tatsuha thought they'd forgotten about him, Ryuichi turned, putting the rabbit right up into his face. "Kumagoro also likes _you_, but he says he'd really like his ketchup now."

"Uh… right." Tatsuha searched through the cart until he found a little ketchup packet left over from an earlier trip and handed it to Ryuichi, cheeks turning pink as their fingers brushed.

Ryuichi didn't seem to notice. "Just the right size for Kumagoro! Now he _really _likes you!"

"That's all well and good, but Tohma told you not to let anybody know you were here, remember? He said he'd deliver our food and everything." Noriko turned to face Tatsuha. "Don't you dare tell anybody that Ryuichi is staying here or I'll rip your tongue out of your head."

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Thanks for the ketchup."

And then his god was gone behind an expensive redwood door. Tatsuha stood frozen for a good half-second.

Then he fainted.

* * *

**. End Notes .  
**I know, I know. Super-short. It gets better, I promise. Don't forget to read and review! **– Hanabina**


	2. Guess We'll Do It The Hard Way

**. Summary .  
**Eiri has committed an unspeakable crime against his brother: he's forced Tatsuha to get a JOB! Now Tatsuha is working at a hotel and is anything but happy about it. Until he hears that Ryuichi is staying in one of the rooms. Then, all hell breaks loose.

**. Author's Note .  
**I watched DVD 4 at last. It was so cute. Now, after watching Gravitation, my friends and I are going to dress up for Halloween. One friend is going to be a battery, one friend is going to be a suitcase, one friend is going to be a vending machine, and I'm opting for Ryuichi's Kumagoro outfit. Bwahaha. Oh, and thanks to everybody who reviewed! I really appreciate it! **- Hanabina**

**. Disclaimer .  
**Me no own. You no sue.

* * *

**. Two .**

Guess We'll Have To Do It The Hard Way

* * *

"Tatsuha... may I inquire as to why half of you is sticking out of my air vent?" Tohma asked calmly, watching Tatsuha wriggle around until he fell out of the air vent with a plop and landed at the president's feet.

The youngest Uesugi laughed sheepishly. "Uh... I was... cleaning it?"

"I don't believe I hired you as a cleaning lady. Last time I checked, you were on room service." Tohma eyed the vent carefully, then turned back to Tatsuha. "Is it just my imagination, or does this particular air vent lead directly to room 106?"

"Oh," Tatsuha said innocently. "Does it? I hadn't the faintest idea."

Tohma gazed at him flatly. "Do get back to work, Tatsuha, and don't let me catch you here again. If you want to stalk Ryuichi, please do it on your own time. I'm certainly not paying you for the last half-hour you've wasted."

"Half-hour? I've only been here for ten minutes!"

"Then think of the extra twenty minutes as punishment."

Tatsuha glared daggers at Tohma's retreating back and pouted as he screwed the cover of the air vent back into place. Well, _fine_. He'd just have to find another way into Ryuichi's bedroom.

Or into Ryuichi's bed.

Or both.

**_…Room Service?_**

"_I want a new world_!" Shuichi crooned into the microphone for the ninth time that day, waiting for the melody to fade out before letting go of the note he was holding. He beamed at Ryuichi, who was sitting in a corner of the room (with Kumagoro of course) clapping wildly.

"Sparkly Shuichi!" Ryuichi called, leaping up and tackling Shuichi in a hug. "That was SO COOL!"

Shuichi laughed, sitting up and flailing. "Didja hear that, Hiro? Ryuichi said I was cool! ALRIGHT!"

Hiro smiled as shook his head as the two singers began bouncing off the roof, laughing and complimenting each other. He paused as he remembered something. "Hey, Shuichi? How's that friend of yours holding up? Mr. Uesugi?"

Shuichi stopped bouncing for a moment to consider the question. "I don't know, really. He's always fast asleep in the living room when I get home. I think his job is exhausting."

Ryuichi stopped bouncing as well. "Work's no fun if you can't smile doing it!" He said, pumping his fist in the air. "Maybe I can help!"

Hiro and Shuichi exchanged glances, then looked at Ryuichi with matching grins.

"Maybe you can…" Shuichi said, laughing maniacally.

**_…Room Service?_**

"Toh-ma?" Kumagoro said, sticking his head into Tohma's office, his owner hidden from view. "Can Kuma-chan talk to you for a minute?"

"Er, of course. Come in, Kumagoro." Tohma said, trying not to let his amusement show through. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, I was wondering," The pink rabbit said, sounding sheepish. "Shuichi said one of his friends works at the hotel where Ryuichi is staying and that Shuichi's friend really likes Ryuichi. So Kumagoro was wondering if he and Ryuichi could maybe talk to Shuichi's friend?"

Tohma didn't answer, so the pink rabbit continued.

"Work is no fun if you can't smile doing it!" He finished with a flourish. "Please, Tohma?"

"Tatsuha did not receive this job with the intention of having fun," Tohma said slowly. "In fact, Eiri asked me to personally make sure Tatsuha didn't have any fun whatsoever. He's supposed to be learning a lesson. And nobody is supposed to know that you—that is, Ryuichi—are staying here."

"But, Toh-_ma_," Ryuichi said, making his appearance at last. "I just want to meet him! Surely, he can't be that bad!"

Tohma raised an eyebrow. "If Mr. Shindou is to be believed, then Tatsuha molested him with no explanation other than 'I bet Ryuichi feels like this'."

Ryuichi blinked, a blank look on his face. "Feel?" He asked uncomprehendingly. "Feel? Meal? Peel? Banana peel? Do you want a banana, Tohma?"

"Ah, that's quite alright, Ryuichi. The fact of the matter is, I think it would be better if you didn't meet Tatsuha." Tohma finished, smiling. "Now, what are your plans for today?"

"Shuichi and Ryuichi and Kumagoro are going to the zoo!" Ryuichi announced, holding up the pink bunny. "Do you want to come, Tohma?"

"I'm afraid I can't. I have far too much work to do. You go and have fun, alright? Goodbye."

Ryuichi waved, then allowed Kumagoro to wave as well before both flounced out the door.

**_…Room Service?_**

"I had a feeling Mr. Seguchi would say no." Shuichi said seriously as he and Ryuichi walked along the sidewalk to the zoo. "And whatever Mr. Seguchi says, goes."

"You make Tohma sound scary." Ryuichi replied, bouncing Kumagoro on his head. "Tohma's a nice guy. You just have to get used to him, is all."

"Oh, I know that. I'm just saying he's very protective of you and Yuki is all." Shuichi answered before his eyes caught sight of the sign hanging over their heads. "WE'RE HERE!"

Shuichi and Ryuichi took off at breakneck speed into the zoo, trying to see as many of the animals as they could. They came to a screeching halt in front of the lion cages, watching the lions stalk around and roar.

Ryuichi roared back.

Shuichi licked his palm and pressed it against the steel bars.

The two laughed maniacally and ran away.

They came to another stop in front of an ice cream vender and bought two scoops of vanilla each, sitting down on a bench to eat them. Shuichi checked his watch. "You know…" He began. "I don't think Tatsuha is working today."

Ryuichi cocked his head to the side.

"We could go to Yuki's house and you could meet him…"

"But Tohma said—"

"We don't have to tell him." Shuichi said, smirking. "He doesn't need to know everything. And, besides, it would make Tatsuha _really_ happy."

"Yeah!" Ryuichi cheered, excited. "Happy!"

Shuichi hopped to his feet. "Let's go!"

**_…Room Service_**

Tatsuha groaned as he laid face down on the couch. His hair was a mess, his face was pale, and he was wearing an old t-shirt, boxers, and a pair of socks with holes in them. But he could care less because the effort of moving was too much of a strain.

Eiri sat on a chair opposite him, typing away on his laptop. He had a deadline to meet, after all, and he had no time for Tatsuha's stupidity.

"You don't even work that hard, according to Seguchi." Eiri said flatly, not taking his eyes off the screen. "The whole reason your back hurts is because of that air vent stunt you pulled. Got stuck in there, didn't you?"

"No." Tatsuha snapped forlornly. "I just couldn't get all the way in before Tohma caught me. I could have been in Ryuichi Sakuma's _room_. Where he sleeps, breathes, and eats."

"I'm pretty sure he breathes everywhere he goes." Eiri said sarcastically. "But I could be wrong."

"Oh, shut up."

_Ding-Dong!_

"Yuki! Yuki – Open the door!"

"You've got a key, you damn brat." Eiri shouted, unwilling to get up. "Make use of it for once in your life!"

"But Yukiii, I left it on the table! Please let me in!"

Eiri narrowed his eyes at his groaning brother. "Go let the brat in."

"But I'm _tired_. And I've got back pains." Tatsuha whined. "You're so _mean_."

Eiri's foot snapped out, effectively kicking over the couch and dumping Tatsuha onto the floor.

"You are _not_ human." Tatsuha muttered. Nevertheless he got to his feet and shuffled over to the door, unlocking it and pulling it open. "Your lover's a bas—"

"SURPRISE!" Shuichi and Ryuichi cheered simultaneously, jumping through the doorway and tackling Tatsuha. The dark haired boy blinked in confusion until he realized that there were not one, but two bodies lying on top of him.

Shuichi stood first. "I brought you a present." He pointed beside him as Ryuichi got up, flashing the victory sign in Tatsuha's direction. "Ryuichi heard that you were sad, so he came to help you cheer up!"

"Ryu… ichi… Sakuma…?" Tatsuha said, sitting up and staring at Ryuichi in wide mouth shock. Ryuichi leaned down so that they were eye level with each other, and stared back.

"I remember this game!" He beamed, trying not to blink. "Last time, I won!"

Tatsuha seemed to remember that he was in a horrible state of disarray and jumped to his feet, running to Eiri's bedroom and slamming the door.

Shuichi and Ryuichi exchanged glances.

"Potty break." Ryuichi said decisively, sitting down on the floor and waiting for Tatsuha to do his business.

**_…Room Service?_**

Tatsuha returned to the living room minutes later, dressed much better than he was earlier, and with his hair actually combed for once. Shuichi was sitting obediently next to Eiri, while the man typed away on his laptop. Ryuichi was sitting cross-legged by the door.

Tatsuha walked over and extended a hand. "It's a, um, pleasure to meet you. I'm Tatsuha Uesugi."

"Shuichi told me!" Ryuichi said happily, shaking Tatsuha's hand with all the vigor of a five year old. "He also suggested I give you this." Ryuichi produced a tape from out of nowhere and handed it to Tatsuha. "It's the same one I gave to Shuichi to cheer him up!"

Tatsuha looked at the tape as though it were gold.

"Oh, I almost forgot! This is Kumagoro!" Ryuichi continued, holding up his pink companion. "Kuma-chan, this is Tatsuha."

Tatsuha shook the rabbit's hand, well aware of the singer's attachment to it. He sat down cross-legged in front of the two.

"So…" He said awkwardly. "What's up?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not really supposed to be here." Ryuichi said in a conspiratorial voice, leaning forward. "Tohma said I shouldn't meet you because you molested Shuichi."

Shuichi caught this part and coughed violently, his face bright red. Tatsuha scratched the back of his head nervously.

"I did _not_. I was just teasing him." Tatsuha protested, pouting. "That's a crude and unfounded rumor! Lies, I tell you."

Ryuichi beamed. "Really?"

"Go ahead and ask Shuichi if I molested him. He'll say no."

Tatsuha and Ryuichi turned to look at the pink-haired singer, but a cloud of dust leading to the kitchen was all that remained of him.

Tatsuha sweat dropped. "Well, he _would_ say no if he were still in here."

Ryuichi laughed. "I like you, Tatsuha. You're weird."

"As if you're one to talk!" Tatsuha replied. "At least I didn't dress up in a giant bunny costume to deliver congratulations."

"Shuichi said you taped the broadcast of it and watched me pop out from under the table twelve times." Ryuichi shot back, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

Tatsuha turned red and muttered something.

"What was that?" Ryuichi asked, a smirk on his face. "I didn't quite hear you. Speak up."

"I _said_," Tatsuha replied, face burning. "It was _thirteen_ times."

"Ryuichi's normal compared to you!" Kumagoro piped up from Ryuichi's lap. Tatsuha looked down at the bunny, then at Ryuichi before both of them broke out laughing.

Eiri twitched. "SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO WRITE A GODDAMN BOOK HERE!"

Tatsuha and Ryuichi flinched, then exchanged glances and laughed more quietly. Shuichi stuck his head out from the kitchen.

"I'm glad to see that you're getting along." He said sheepishly. "Sorry about leaving. I, um, had something on the fire…"

Eiri snorted.

"That's alright, Shuichi!" Ryuichi beamed, believing every word. "You can make it up to us by taking me and Kumagoro back to the hotel."

"I'll do it!" Tatsuha volunteered immediately.

Shuichi scratched the back of his head. "You probably shouldn't. Tohma doesn't know that Ryuichi came to see you today and we'd like to keep it that way."

Tatsuha deflated, pouting. "Oh. Okay."

Ryuichi watched this exchange for a moment before pulling off his left sneaker and taking a marker out of his pocket. He scrawled his name on the bottom of the sneaker and handed it to Tatsuha. "Smile!"

Tatsuha looked at the shoe – which kind of reeked, he noticed – then smiled weakly. "Thank you, Mr. Sakuma."

"_Ew_," Ryuichi said, making a face. "Don't call me that. Call me Ryuichi. That's what all my friends call me."

Tatsuha's eyes grew wide and watery. "We're… friends?"

"Of course! Any friend of Shuichi's is a friend of mine!"

"Let's go, Ryuichi!" Shuichi said, heading for the doorway. "Yuki, I'll be back soon!"

Eiri didn't even spare him a glance. "Whatever."

"You're so _mean_!" Shuichi pouted, stomping through the door. Ryuichi looked back at Tatsuha, then beamed and ran out as well.

Tatsuha looked down at the stinky sneaker in his hand, then took a whiff. "Ahhh. It stinks like Ryuichi."

Eiri frowned. "You're disgusting."

**_…Room Service?_**

Ryuichi hummed happily as he entered room 106, only to find Tohma and Noriko sitting in front of the television. He beamed. "I'm back from the zoo! Shuichi just dropped me off."

Noriko turned around on the couch and smiled. "Did you have fun, Ryu?"

"Oh yeah!" Ryuichi said, remembering his conversation with Tatsuha. "Lots of fun. There were lions and tigers and snakes and—"

"Ryuichi," Tohma interrupted. "Where's one of your shoes?"

Ryuichi looked down at his feet briefly before placing a hand behind his head and laughing stupidly. "Well, you see, I was playing fetch with the seals and—"

"Nevermind." Noriko said, waving a hand. "We don't need to know. Go get some shut eye."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Ryuichi waved at his band mates one more time before skipping off to his room and closing the door. He grinned widely.

_What was that? I didn't quite hear you. Speak up.  
__I **said** it was **thirteen** times._

"Silly, silly, Tatsuha." He said quietly, his grin widening.

* * *

**. End Notes .  
**That was so much fun to write. I love Ryuichi and Tatsuha! And Tohma, too, although so many people don't like him. Wonder why. **–Hanabina**


End file.
